Seasoned maternal health experts have said having husbands, partners, or relatives in the labour room during delivery or a caesarean section can help pregnant women cope with the demands of childbirth.
While skilled birth attendants play a critical role in ensuring safe delivery, the gynaecologists stressed that having a husband, partner, or close relative present during labour and delivery can improve pregnancy outcomes.
According to the experts, a trusted companion can reassure women, reduce anxiety, and encourage them throughout the delivery process.
The gynaecologist, who spoke exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise, maintained that husbands, partners and relatives could help women feel more secure and supported during childbirth.
A Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Prof. Chris Aimakhu, explained that the presence of husbands, partners or relatives during labour has become part of modern medical practice worldwide.
According to him, the new World Health Organisation Labour Care Guide, which is a new approach to monitoring women in labour, encourages companionship during labour.
He said, “The companion can provide emotional support, often by offering reassurance, reducing fears and anxiety, and helping the mother feel in control.
“The person can also provide physical comfort by assisting with massage, rubbing the woman’s back, helping her change positions, encouraging her, and telling her how to breathe,” he said.
When asked whether the presence of a husband or relative could help prevent alleged cases of disputed sex of babies, stealing of babies, or organ harvesting during CS, the don said:
“The companion is not there to monitor your organ transplant or all that; the person is there to help the woman go through the experience of pregnancy and childbirth,” he said.
Aimakhu said the companion’s presence could help in communication, safeguard against maltreatment, provide practical help, and bond with the newborn.
“There is a communication and advocacy role. The companion bridges the gap between the pregnant woman in labour and the healthcare worker. Sometimes, there is that gap in many societies.
“The companion also helps safeguard against mistreatment. You do not want a woman in labour to be maltreated, so that person is there to help ensure that she is treated well.
“Of course, the companion can also run around in case there are things that are needed. There is practical help, such as providing things the woman needs, helping to time contractions and offering basic assistance requested by the doctor or midwife, who cannot be there every single moment,” he said.
Aimakhu said husbands or relatives’ presence can improve tolerance and shorten labour.
“The benefits are there. According to WHO, it makes labour shorter and increases the rate of vaginal delivery because somebody is encouraging the woman. When she is told to push, she can push with encouragement. This can definitely reduce the rate of caesarean sections.
“There is also a decreased need for analgesia or pain-relieving medication because the woman has somebody supporting her. Of course, there is also satisfaction when the baby is born, and the parents can bond with the baby together.
“It also extends to caesarean sections. The husband or another companion may be allowed to be present during the procedure. The person can sit with the patient as the anaesthesia is administered and encourage the woman. In most caesarean sections, the woman is awake. Having her husband beside her when the baby is delivered means they can share that satisfaction,” the don said.
Corroborating Aimakhu, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dr Olanrewaju Jimoh, said that while the practice has both advantages and disadvantages, the former outweighs the latter.
He said, “A pregnant woman coming into the labour room and seeing strangers is enough to cause fear, stress and anxiety on its own. In Nigeria, we sometimes ask pregnant women to remove their earrings, wristwatches, phones and other belongings before entering the labour ward. They then go in alone. At that point, it can feel as though they have been sentenced to labour. They have nobody familiar to look at, and they find themselves surrounded by strangers.
“Sometimes, the labour ward is a secluded place, with restrictions on who can enter and who cannot. The woman may feel very anxious, and certain thoughts begin to come to her mind. She starts worrying and wondering whether she will be able to cope and make it through the experience.
“Much of this anxiety can be reduced when partners are allowed to accompany women during labour. The WHO recommends this practice. Evidence has shown that companionship during labour reduces fear and gives women more confidence because they see a familiar face.”
According to him, we have found that when a partner is present and provides emotional support, it reduces stress and improves the woman’s mood physiologically.
“It also helps the progress of labour. The perception of pain is reduced considerably. The woman still feels the pain, but when she looks at her husband or relatives, the pain may not feel as severe as it would if she had nobody with her.
“Medically, from our own perspective, companionship provides a better labour experience. It can help prevent prolonged labour and shorten the duration of labour because the partner is there to encourage the woman.
“When the woman’s pain and distress are reduced, there may also be less need for medication and other interventions.
“Of course, we know that companionship can reduce the rate of caesarean sections and other forms of assisted delivery, such as using instruments to help bring the baby out. It can also contribute to the well-being of both the mother and the baby,” he said.
Jimoh, however, clarified that “The presence of husbands, partners, or relatives is more of psychological and emotional support rather than as a crime witness.”